Well another year is gone and yes folks it just doesn't seem like it at all. It just seems like yesterday we were bringing in the new year. Now we are bringing in another year, 2013. What it brings is a mystery and the good thing is we don't know at all. That is the fun of it and the old year is gone and is as they say is history.

There has always been a tradition of ringing out the old and ringing in the new. That has been going on for generations and generations. Sometimes that is good but at times we want the good things we have in our life to remain there, not just go away. That is what life is all about.

There are a lot of us, who have lost a number of friends this past year. That always happens. This year I didn't have a close friend or relative, so I am very fortunate for that. But during this thing we call a journey of life it is bound to happen and we acquire courage to get through it. We have done it once before at least and we get through it again.

We made new friends this year and saw some of our old friends leave us. We have done some new adventures and made a few mistakes. My grandmother always said if we don't make mistakes, we aren't living. There are a few people around here that have never heard that old saying before and expect everyone to be perfect. That is not gong to happen in an imperfect world.

It seems that an individual needs to do what they want to do if it makes them happy because that is what happiness is all about. Believe me, it takes a lot of time on this earth to figure that out and embrace the idea. You may think it but it takes a great deal of courage to actually do it. That is what life and life's experiences are all about.

Experiencing new things in a new year is nothing new. Anyone can do it and it is wonderful when you experience new things whatever it is for that individual. This past year, I had never taken over a project as large as Relay for Life. I had wanted to do it for years and found a chance to do it, which was to bring it back to the community. I know I made a few mistakes but I did bring it back and that was my goal.

I wanted to begin another poetry book. I always told myself I didn't have enough time, but I did make time for it and guess what, I am in the process of doing it. That is the first time I have written a new poetry book in over six years. My friends really wanted me to write another book, so I just set my mind to it and before I knew it, it was being written.

Page 2 of 2 - Several years ago, I had a friend who always wanted jump out of a plane and parachute to the ground. I thought it was the craziest thing I had ever heard of and still think so. I would never do it and literally don't have the stomach for it. He did it and always loved it and I found out that a couple of years ago he had done it before he passed away.

That is what life is all about — doing things that you always wanted to do and have a chance to do it. Life only comes around once and believe me it comes around fast. This past year I had never done something and I just sat down and decided that wanted to do it and I am going to do it in the upcoming year. If you had asked me several years ago that I would do this, I would have told you no way. But I did. That is what life is all about. Living a life is what it is all about. HAPPY NEW YEAR.